For a reimagined Ste-Catherine St., picture this: sidewalks vastly widened to allow restaurant terrasses on either side of the street, with ample room for pedestrian traffic. Leafy trees providing shade and greenery overhanging the road. Kiosks and mini pop-up stores perched on the sidewalks selling coffee and croissants, or fresh fruit and flowers, or holiday decorations.

Certain side streets like McGill College Ave. and those running alongside Phillips Square in front of The Bay would be transformed into vast pedestrian malls, grand public meeting places along the lines of Place de la République in Paris or New York’s Times Square, that would be among the largest in North America. The McGill College Square would include a fountain, public art and a beer garden. And more visually appealing architectural details on commercial storefronts.

Opposition party Projet Montréal presented its vision for a revamped Ste-Catherine St. on Thursday that it said could double the amount of consumer traffic and return Montreal’s iconic but dated central thoroughfare into the destination location it once was during the 1950s.

To date, however, Projet Montréal said the city administration of Mayor Denis Coderre has rebuffed the party’s requests to discuss its ideas. The party worries the city’s vision will not allow for terrasses and kiosks because the width of sidewalks it is envisioning is too narrow, and the opportunity for rebirth will be squandered.

The city is scheduled to announce its vision next Wednesday for a new Ste-Catherine St., which coincides with major road and water pipe reconstruction starting in 2016 that will involve tearing up the street from Atwater to Place des Arts. The Coderre administration declined to comment on Projet Montréal’s plans Thursday.

Projet Montréal leader Luc Ferrandez called on Coderre to put aside partisan politics and an “urban planner vs. chamber of commerce” mentality and meet with his party to find a solution in the best interests of the city.

“We want a street that will slowly, progressively develop another spirit. And the spirit will come with the terrasses. And if you want the terrasses, you need space, and right now the position on the table is not wide enough to put the terrasses. …

“There are 500,000 people working downtown. We want to see them staying downtown to have an apero or a café, and we want tourists to stay longer. Right now they are not staying for very long.”

Asked their favourite aspects of the city, tourists list, in order, Old Montreal, Mount Royal, the Notre-Dame Basilica, Plateau-Mont-Royal and Chinatown, Ferrandez said. The downtown core is not even mentioned. The Olympic Stadium is. To entice people to eat and shop and spend time there, Montreal must nurture an eco-system that will spur gradual development, Ferrandez said. Kiosks and mini pop-up stores on the sidewalks will allow small entrepreneurs who can’t afford Ste-Catherine St. rents to introduce their pastries or fruits without risking too much money. It it works well, they can spread to side streets, and eventually to the main street. Public squares will entice downtowners and tourists, who have money, to stay and spend. Larger stores will follow.

“Downtown Montreal is no longer an area that inspires affection,” Ferrandez said.

Among Projet Montréal’s proposals:

Widen sidewalks to seven metres on each side, giving room for terrasses, kiosks, pedestrians, trees and lampposts (or six metres on one side and eight metres on the other. The city proposal is for 5.5-metre-wide sidewalks, Projet said).

One lane for traffic six metres wide (that will be large enough to accommodate two vehicles side by side when one is turning left or right, Ferrandez said).

One reserved lane for active transit that would allow bikes to run in both directions.

Maximum speed limits of 20-30 kilometres per hour.

No deliveries after 11 a.m.

No parking on Ste-Catherine St. (Projet Montréal contends there are 12,500 parking spots underground and on side streets, many that are under utilized).

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